First time with the RED! NEED HELP!

[liezl]

Hi everyone!

So, in a couple of weeks I am working as cam op on a shoot and we're shooting on RED!

I've only ever shot on 16mm or HD before. This is my first time with the RED. I'm nervous but at the same time EXCITED!

Tomorrow, the DOP and I will meet the guy we're hiring the RED from and we will have a three hour session with him to get to know the camera and ask him questions and stuff. I know three hours probably isn't enough time, but it's all we could afford.

So let me ask you guys a few questions so that I can make the most out of the three hours:

1. What problems did you encounter when you first shot on the RED? What problems do you still encounter?

2. What are the things that I should focus on getting the hang of in those three hours tomorrow?

3. Can you give me any tips and pointers for operating the RED?

4. What sort of questions should I ask him, or what aspects should I get him to explain/demonstrate for me?

5. Is there any resources on the web that I can read/watch in the lead-up to the actual shoot that would help build my confidence?


Thanks in advance for all the help, guys and girls!

 

[Zensteve]

I don't know much about cameras, but I do know that the red is kinda noisy.

It's got a fan on it that blows like nobody's business, but it also has a so-called "quiet mode" that you can kick in when it's time to roll (which helps somewhat, but not totally)

I 'spose go over proper workflow with it, and how to calibrate it at startup. (Camera crew we used one time would spend about 15 minutes each morning, lining it up with a grid-chart thing) How to dump the data to your laptop & multiple backup drives. How to navigate menus.

Aside from that, it's just a fancy camcorder, right?

 

[brianluce]

The two things that jump out about RED is that the thing weighs a ton. Be wary to too much hand held unless Ray Lew is your DP. Similarly, hope you got some study sticks.

The other crucial thing is media wrangling. If I were you, I'd have at least one guy assigned to dumping and copying all footage you shoot. Get that software that scans the footage for errors. And don't forget about redundancy.

 

[liezl]

Thanks guys!

Zensteve - What's this grid chart? Is it similar to a framing chart when shooting film?

Brianluce - I assume by "study sticks" you meant "sturdy sticks"? And what do you mean by redundancy?

 

[M1chae1]

1. Keep the battery recharger well away from location...that fan is loud.

2. Media wrangling as mentioned before, make sure you have someone that can handle that and do some dumping and transferring.

3. The Red doesn't mean it will look great...don't skimp on lighting design (and sound).

Good luck, have fun.

 

[brianluce]

Thanks guys!

Zensteve - What's this grid chart? Is it similar to a framing chart when shooting film?

Brianluce - I assume by "study sticks" you meant "sturdy sticks"? And what do you mean by redundancy?

Yes, "sturdy", are instead of is, and by redundancy, don't rely on a single hdd for your footage. hdd is the worst ever medium for keeping footage in terms of safety. Burn your footage to a disk, to tape, a second hdd, anything.